There's nothing like a smoothie—when made right, it's a healthy meal in a cup. For anyone lactose-intolerant, it can be hard to make a rich and creamy smoothie minus the milk. Once again, avocado to the rescue! Throwing some avocado into a smoothie recipe immediately gives the drink a thick and creamy consistency, much like a milkshake. Get started with our avocado aloe smoothie, or try this spicy basil avocado smoothie instead.

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Easy Avocado Tricks

Avocado has a lot more going for it than guacamole. Whether you're vegan, lactose-intolerant, or just looking to cut back on dairy, avocado makes an easy—and healthy—replacement. Aside from adding a creamy consistency to dishes, it ups the fiber content and is rich in B vitamins and heart-healthy fats. The next time you're making a dish that calls for milk, butter, cream, or cheese, you'll want to take a look at our guide to see how easy it is to replace those ingredients with the green goodness of avocado.

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Butter in Baked Goods

No one will ever know that you swapped the butter out of your favorite brownie recipe with an avocado. In the end, you have a rich dessert that's moist, chewy, and lower in both calories and cholesterol than traditional baked goods. It's an easy swap, too. Just replace half the butter in a recipe with avocado. While it may be tempting to do an even 1:1 swap, you'll want to refrain unless you like flat, pancake-like baked goods.

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Cheese and Cream in Sauces

Sometimes nothing will do except a comforting bowl of creamy pasta. And while you might think your heaping plate of fettuccine alfredo is irreplaceable, you're wrong.

This avocado pasta dish requires no butter, no cream, and no cheese. But it will only take one bite to convince you that none of that stuff is needed. It's also super simple to make: Just blend together avocado, olive oil, and your favorite herbs and spices. As easy as it is to make a creamy avocado pasta sauce, the same holds true for salad dressing. Get started with this avocado-basil dressing, which is perfect for your everyday salad.

There's nothing like a smoothie—when made right, it's a healthy meal in a cup. For anyone lactose-intolerant, it can be hard to make a rich and creamy smoothie minus the milk. Once again, avocado to the rescue! Throwing some avocado into a smoothie recipe immediately gives the drink a thick and creamy consistency, much like a milkshake. Get started with our avocado aloe smoothie, or try this spicy basil avocado smoothie instead.